Titans Rising
by Hectomatus
Summary: Five years after separation of the Teen Titans each Titan is dealing with their own issues as adulthood and the reality of their situations set in. They begin to realize that they are stronger together than they can ever be apart and they are about to get their chance to prove it. tXbbXra cyXj ro/nwXsf M for language, content, nudity, graphic violence and death.
1. Chapter 0 Prologue

It has been five years since the end of the Teen Titans. After Terra's assumed death and the threats of Slade and Trigon having been barely quelled the Justice League intervened and determined that the city, and all cities guarded by teams of Titans would be safer under the watch of the League. Superman himself was there to congradulate and dismantle the Titans.

Robin returned to Gotham and resumed his training with the Dark Knight. Cyborg and Beast Boy became a duo and stayed in the city after becoming honorary Justice League members assisting the Martian Manhunter clean up the city. Raven was called home to Azeroth by her mother to serve as a just and moral overseer of the dead in place of her father. Starfire was forced to return to her home planet and serve as the Queen Reagant after her older sister was excommunicated leaving her the rightful heir to the Tamaranian throne. Terra retained her memories and left the city after seeing Beast Boy at the school, swearing never to return and cause her friends any more pain, she returned to her wandering ways making the road her home. Jynx has changed her ways and now helps Cyborg and Beast Boy fight Slade. The rest of the titans, honorary or otherwise are scattered through out the world.  
Most who were able have returned to their mentors, but some have turned coat and now fight against the League, bitter for having their teams dismantled.

Slade, having taken back his soul, is the driving force behind the crime in the city and keeps Beast Boy and Cyborg up at night with his murderous and brilliant crime sprees, he has lost all sense of honor and mercy having been dead himself and feels no remorse sending his victims to the same grave he returned from. Having banded the villains in the city together he organizes the majority of the crime in the city which has taken a turn from mischevious to tragic as the death toll continues to rise.


	2. Chapter 1 Beast Boy and Cyborg

It was a typical night Beast Boy remarked as he flew over the alleyways and skyscrapers scanning vigilantly for any sign of trouble. The city was nothing like what it used to be, a place where he could spend his days lounging wih his friends and stopping criminals wrong doing. Ever since they had returned from saving Raven nothing had been the same.

"Yo, B." his communicator went off in his ear. Cyborg, his oldest friend was checking in "this sector is clear, we're headed your way." We meaning he and Jynx. Beast Boy still didn't approve of Jynx. She had proven herself time amd time again, Cyborg had even started dating her almost a year ago.

"Lools like a boring night afterall, I guess you were wrong about tonight Beast Boob." Jynx chimed in. It had been remarkably quiet ever since the last time Red Tornado and Martian Manhunter had come to their rescue during the last major riot and Beast Boy knew something serious had to be stirring.

"Maybe we should call it quits and head back to the dorms B, we have exams this week in case you've been too busy to notice"

"No? Beast Boob? Busy?" Some things never change, Beast Boy thought to himself as he tried to ignore his comrades berating remarks.

"You two can go home if you want, I have work to do." he firmly stated as he shifted into a hawk, leaving the more subtle form of a fly. It was more damgerous, but it was faster and it looked like he was going to be scanning the rest of the city himself.

"Look B, you need to take a night off man. You're starting to sound like Nightwing." Nightwing. Ever since Robin returned to Gotham he started calling himself Nightwing, saying that his time with the Titans had turned him into a leader and that he was ready to be an equal, standing on his own instead of being a side kick.

"Is there something wrong with that Cybo- hold on, I think I've got something." noticing something on the street below Beast Boy dove into action. A shadowy figure running down an alleyway from a figure sprawled on the ground was quickly becoming clearer as he approached the ground. Diving down quickly like the bird of prey he had taken the form of he just as quickly shifted back to normal next to the sprawled figure. He identified it as a woman in her early 20s. She had been stabbed multiple times and was clearly dead. 'What is this city coming to?' Beast boy thought, 'These people are monsters.' Shifting into a cheetah he darted down the alley towards the shadowy figure as it continued to attempt to escape. His feline eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he recogized the mask worn by the figure as it glared back at Beast Boy having heard the savage, feral roar echoing down the alleyway. The mask was very clearly the same work by the lower level thugs of the Slade gang. 'Theres only one way to deal with criminals like this... ' Beast Boy lamented as he pounced, shifting into a burly silverback gorrila and slamming into the Slade thug.

Rage from his baser instincts filled him as he lifted the tiny figure over his head, pulling its limbs, tearing the figure apart like a rag doll. It stunned him for a moment when he was dissapointed to see sparks insteasd of what he expected as he threw the pieces of the robotic assailant against the ground like a spoiled child discarding a broken toy.

"B? What's up man, you got something? Jynx and I are headed your way, ETA three minutes." His friends voice snapped him back to normal

"It was nothing, just a robotic foot soldier." He glared back down the alleyway at the lifeless body, considering the situation and what would have happened if that wasnt just an android he had torn apart. "It killed a girl. A college student, she never stood a chance."

"Dame it. Wait, I haven't a single foot soldier running around for weeks, it probably got separated from a pack of them, hold off, ETA two minutes. We'll take them down then call it a night." As Cyborg spoke Beast Boy could see and hear the pack Cyborg was describing crawling from every shadow, window, doorway and rooftop. There were hundreds, more than Beast Boy had seen in one place since Slade started redeploying them in the city.

"You might want to hurry," Beast Boy muttered into his communicator

"Got some hombres coming?" a familiar voice, the sound of two that came together making one, echoed down the alley behind him and filled Beast Boy with the same rage that was the end of the first foot soldier at his feet "Beuno, we were afraid this was going to be too easy." Mas and Menos standing on either side of Cinderblock with dozens of foot soldiers around them stood blocking the alleyway.

"What's going on B?" Cyborg asked

"Mas and Men-" Beast Boy started, but in the blink of an eye the twins appeared in front of him, using their super speed to get the drop on Beast Boy landing a strong hit to his jaw ripping him from his animal form and sending him spinning violently into the wall.


	3. Chapter 2 Nightwing

An alert went off on Nightwing's heads up display. Another level three spotting of trouble in his city, with his team. Beast Boy and Cyborg must have been dealing with something serious because the league wasn't using their standard frequency.

"Robin, pay attention!" Batman growled, bringing him back to the fight at hand.

"I told you Bruce," wondering how many times he would have to establish his dominance as he dodged and parried a strike from one of the thugs surrounding his surrogate father and himself "it's Nightwing." the two of them had been busy all evening. Dealing with petty crime. Dealing with petty criminals. Nightwing hated that. This was Batman's city, these were his demons to face and Nightwing felt out of place.

"If you want me to treat you like a real hero Dick you need to act like one." A scolding? Now? Was all that crossed Nightwing's mind as Batman notioned for a technique they had pefected for dealing with large crowds of criminals that was sure to end the fight.

Like creatures of the night the two of them dissapeared from the battle and took to the sky, grappling to the nearest fire escapes on opposite sides of the street and using their momentum to glide. circling the group of helpless criminals the two of them showered the men below with an endless barrage of Batarangs and stun grenades avoiding gunfire and causing a panic in the men as they fell one by one, bewildered.

After the smoke had cleared and sirens could be heard approaching the pile of unconcious bodies below Batman grappled away, chosing the furthest building he could reach to gather speed. Nightwing, the independent hero, followed.

"You don't need to lecture me Bruce. I had everything under control." Nightwing stated calmly.

"That's not the point. You didn't have your head in the game. You weren't focused. That puts you at risk and it puts me at risk." He had noticed the alert going off and Nightwing's momemt of hesitation. Of course he did, he notices everything, Nightwing coyed. "I understand that you want to keep tabs on your former team, but you need to focus on what's happening now. This is exactly why you are not ready to join the League." He had to bring that up. Nightwing had tried and failed three times to gain official Justice League status, not just honorary membership. It takes approval from all six original members for someome to become a full fledged member and while they never reveal who voted which way it was clear that he hadn't made the cut.

The night was drawing to a close, and Gotham was finally quieting down. As quiet as Gotham could be with it's active nightlife. Batman had done a lot for his city, and Gotham was doing considerably better than it had before he started his crusade as the cowled avenger of the night. All of the major villains remained locked up in Arkham and the occasional breakout was the worst they had deal with. Petty, unorganized crime was all that was left. Nightwing looked ahead of him at his friend and mentor gliding through the night. Never before had he seen a man so unwavering or impressive, he hadn't changed one bit in the years he had known him. Batman is what drew him to Gotham after his family, the acrobatic team known as the Flying Greysons, had been murdered by the Joker and what led him to train in martial arts after being adopted by billionaire Bruce Wayne as a cover for his alter-ego Robin. He had retired the red cape and gilded R when he returned to Gotham after the Titans were disbanded. To Nightwing it felt like a failure on his part as a leader to impress the League and to keep his team together, but he pressed on and continued his training under Batman determined not to make the same mistakes that cost him his team.

"Alert. High priority." Jon, the Martian Manhunter's voice filled their communicators, Bruce looked back at Nightwing and the two dropped to a nearby rooftop for a conference call with the watchtower.

"Jon?" Batman asked, more a statement than a question.

"Jump City is on full alert, we have lost communications and we are showing what appears to be a full scale invasion. I'm sending you the satalite images now." Jon replied in his usual monotone as images flooded the HUDs of both Nightwing and Batman. Smoke and fire covered a good portion of the city as armies marched the streets. Images of people running from Slade robots and being slaughtered filled Nightwings field of vision as the slideshow expanded to his full HUD. "We have already dispatched a team, but requires more serious action. Superman and Diana are in Europe with Captain Atom, Aquaman and Green Arrow. I've dispatched the Flash and all surrounding heroes in the area, but they could use some support."

"I'm on my way." Batman placed his index and middle finger to his ear activating Alfred's direct line "Did you hear that Alfred? Send the Batplane immediately."

"Of course master Bruce, already on its way." Nightwing heard Alfred through his ear piece.

"What about Cyborg and Beast Boy? Are they alright?" his friends were more important to him than the fate of the entire city.

"..." Bruce looked at Nightwing and silence screamed over the channels. "Their signals have ceased Nightwing, i can't say for aure whether the city is being blocked or..."

"Don't worry, I will find them." Batman said placing his hand on Nightwing's shoulder, but his geature wasn't what Nightwing was looking for.

"You'll find them? You mean we'll find them." He saId pulling away from his mentor. "You're not going to Jump City and leaving me here."

"Someome has to watch over Gotham Dick." Batman boomed. He was right, but Nightwing wasn't going to let someone else save his city.

"Then you stay here and I'll go. Gotham is your city, and mine needs me now. Those are my friends, my family fighting. Slade is back because of me and it's my resposibility to take him down." He pleaded with his mentor as Jon looked on, from a tiny square in their HUDs and the Batplane shot into view approaching the minimum distance for a grapple.

"Fine. Take the Batplane and send it back when you arrive. I'll head that way once I make sure someone is watching over Gotham." Nightwing only nodded, knowing better than to give Bruce a chance to reconsoder and shot his grapple up to the plane.

"Are you sure that is wise Batman?" The Manhunter questioned as the line retracted and Nightwing was pulled to the cockpit of the plane.

"He will be fine Jon. I'll only be a few hours behind, keep me updated." As he spoke Nightwing buckled himself into the Batplane and punched in the corrdinates. He was going home.


	4. Chapter 3 Terra

Blistering sun with dried cracked ground to match it is all there is for miles. Time creeps like a tortise crossing a vast desert, in no hurry, out where the sun and the sand and the rock all mesh into one yellow-tan mess and the occassional hint of the bright green of cacti only serves to dilute the sense of desperation. Few towns dot the horizon and even fewer large cities. There isn't much need for law this far out. To each their own. It would seem to an outisder that the people who inhabit these desert oases are a secluded and disconcerning type, the kind of person who could live their entire lives without seeing past the borders of their little towns and not think twice about it. Most of them don't.

It was in the largest of these towns that a young blonde newcomer had made her mark, proven her usefulness and been accepted as a member of the community. Terra was passing through when she stumbled upon the quant city she'd chosen as her home. She acts as the sherrif, living in town and spending her days fulfilling her oath to keep the peace and spending her nights dreaming of being somewhere else. Somewhere she knows she isn't welcome.

After traveling for years and covering every inch of the earth she contols as if it were an extension of her self it seemed like the right choice to settle down and stay in one place again. Afterall, she was not the same naieve little girl who would lose control and hurt the people arond her. Control had come with time and with practice just as an freind had told her it would.

Despite being happy with her life and with the city that relied on her for protection she found herself unable to stop reliving the constant battles of the past in her head. Her sins' she feared would haunt her forever. Amidst the nightmares, sometimes she would dream. She would dream that she had not run away again and that her friends had forgivven her. Those were often worse than the nightmares.

Things change, that was for certain, she would tell herself, but not that. The world was changing too and the small town she had discovered only a few years ago was changing with it. New technology brought tourists and new sources of entertainment brought crime. She kept herself busy, but the people were ready to defend themselves. More frequently she would find herself out matched by the residents of her town as they grew more and more self reliant, just as she had when she traveled the world. Soon they wouldn't need a protector and she knew it.

Today however, she felt very needed. There had been a string of bank robberies. Foreigners coming into her town and causing chaos. It was happening more and more frequently. She had aprehended several of the robbers already, and they talked about a bigger plan, that the only reason so many banks had been hit at once was because the person pulling all the strings wanted to get away while she and the other citizens of the town were busy trying to catch everyone else. This person obviously didn't plan for me to be so good at catching thugs Terra thought to herself as she approached the final bank in the city and the confirmed target.

Leaping down from the boulder she had been using for transportation she summersaulted gracefully onto the steps of the bank. It was probably the oldest building in the city, and made of luscious marble and resembled an ancient greek temple. The doors were an utter contrast to the building having been remodeled with new age technology meant to keep intruders out. Technology that had failed to stop the person now inside robbing the bank.

Attempting to make her way into the bank a massive explosion blew the doors out towards blast was caught by a rock wall she had created just in time, but the blast was enough that it had been destroyed and the impact had pushed her down off the steps and into the road below. From the smoke was the form of a man man wearing a black tuxedo, as he emerged further Terra could see his eerily green face, and the large sacks of cash over his shoulder.

"Mumbo?!" she exclaimed it became clearer who the man before her was "what on earth are you doing here? This is the nevada desert. Dont you operate out of Jump City?"

"Gah!" not being the only one who recognized his opponent The great Magic Mumbo dropped his bags of cash and threw on a defeated, pouting look. "What are YOU doing here? I left Jump city to get away from superheroes, and away from that psycho Slade. Are you in league with the Justice League now too or something?"

"No. I'm not a Leaguer." She had kept tried her best to keep tabs on the Titans, but had lost track after they were split up by the Justice League. "Did you say Slade?"

"Yeah, that madman dissapears for months leaving Jump City to the rest of us criminals and then just shows up out of the blue one day with plans of taking over. He gathered all the villains and told us either join him or get out of his city. I was lucky enough to leave before he started going really crazy." She could hear the fear on his voice. "He's not right kid, he talks about coming back from dead and he's hurting people. Killing people." Mumbo's eyes hit the ground and he slowly raised them back to Terra. "He's saying he wants to be the next Joker. That not even death can stop him and the League can't either. Dont take me back there. Put me in prison here, I don't care, but whatever you do don't take me back there."


End file.
